So, student pilots.. Who are we and where do we stand?

Mike Smith said:
Studied my ass off for the written. I was consistently getting mid 90's on study buddy practice tests. My instructor grilled me for two weeks......I was confident.......I made a 77.....go figure. All you have to do is pass. Good job!!!
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Yep, I was consistently in the upper 80's to low 90's on all the King practice tests and then got a 75% on the real. I'll take it.
 
The random draw the FAA uses to construct each test is terrible. I had question after question about sectional charts, but they were all airspace or comms or obstructions. Not one single solitary question about nav on the whole test.

Also almost no weather, which I studied the most.

Oh well. Over and done. Not going to dwell on runway behind me.
 
Aircraft problems have limited my flying the last couple of days. A leaking fuel tank breather tube knocked out yesterday morning's flight, though I did get up in the afternoon. Did my first takeoff, then practiced ground ref maneuvers. Pretty sucky, didn't feel right; just having a rough day.

Flew this morning and did the takeoff again. The plan was to do some slow-speed work, but we were getting clouds and 2500' so we couldn't get high enough to do slow flight safely. Went back low to do more work on ground ref stuff. Much much better today. Finally doing decently on turns around a point, but S turns over a road will need a little more practice.

The afternoon flight for today was scrubbed due to a loose bearing on the nose wheel. Should be good to go tomorrow. Plan is to get a morning session and an afternoon session. Lesson plan will be determined when we see what the weather is like tomorrow.
 
So, this is kind of a vent - apologies in advance. My checkride is scheduled for the 14th. Given that I haven't done anything beyond pattern work and cross-countries over the last six months (slow progress due to weather, work and funds), I had a bunch of lessons scheduled with my CFI to review and practice maneuvers. Unfortunately, he has family coming in town next weekend, so he decided that he wanted to take Thursday through the following Monday off. I conceded to cancel my Monday flight - the day before the checkride, but instantly regretted it. Well, with my poor luck, we then had to cancel another flight due to weather last week and then on Friday the clouds were too low to do anything beyond basic pattern stuff. I now only have three lessons scheduled to review maneuvers and such and, honestly, I don't feel like I'll be ready.

If even one of my lessons this next week has to get canceled due to weather, I think I'm better off just rescheduling. Yes, I'm spazzing... probably over nothing.
 
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Did your instructor sign you off to take the checkride yet? I'm guessing he did......you are ready. You don't need him/her to go with you to practice either, you know the maneuvers, go practice them. Relax, you will be fine.
 
I haven't done these maneuvers since last October. I also don't feel it would be safe for me to practice stalls or unusual attitude recovery on my own.
 
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Cajun_Flyer said:
No, he didn't. And I do need him to practice them since I haven't done them since last October.
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You will be surprised how quickly it comes back. I'm a little surprised that he told you to schedule the ride without a sign off. Review the maneuvers and go fly them. I'm betting you will do them fine after a couple of times.
 
Sorry, just edited that post as you were responding. I looked at my logbook and he did endorse it on Friday. I'll ask him about whether I can practice any of this on my own.
 
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Cajun, I plan to do most all of my practice solo because we all know what the maneuvers are. As for stalling I don't take it all the way to stall because that part is pretty easy (lots of right rudder...). What I practice is entering slow flight without losing altitude and take it up just short of the stall warning. I practice my slow flight turns as well and feel completely safe.
My CFI told me that I can do stalls if I want to, but I choose not to take it all the way for an extra margin of safety.
 
Are you able to practice emergency descents and engine outs/emergency landings alone as well? I just feel like there's so much I haven't' done and now only have three measly days to knock it out in. Honestly, my instructor has never told me that I could go out in the practice area and try these things solo, so I just assumed I wasn't allowed. But I'm definitely going to push him for it. Thanks guys. I know it's just my nerves getting to me.
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
Are you able to practice emergency descents and engine outs/emergency landings alone as well? I just feel like there's so much I haven't' done and now only have three measly days to knock it out in. Honestly, my instructor has never told me that I could go out in the practice area and try these things solo, so I just assumed I wasn't allowed. But I'm definitely going to push him for it. Thanks guys. I know it's just my nerves getting to me.
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Yes, the first time I was instructed to make a short approach one day by tower on the downwind and chopped the throttle for a simulated power out. I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to our not but felt perfectly safe so I did. I talked to him afterwords and he said absolutely I could do those.
My advice would be to talk to your instructor and ask him what he's comfortable with you doing solo and go from there. He's the one that goes with you and knows you. He may say no on some where mine said yes.
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
Are you able to practice emergency descents and engine outs/emergency landings alone as well? I just feel like there's so much I haven't' done and now only have three measly days to knock it out in. Honestly, my instructor has never told me that I could go out in the practice area and try these things solo, so I just assumed I wasn't allowed. But I'm definitely going to push him for it. Thanks guys. I know it's just my nerves getting to me.
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I cannot speak for your instructor, but when I was training, not only was I allowed, but encouraged to go out solo and practice anything and everything. I can understand being cautious with some maneuvers solo, but you can do everything else solo and then just do the stalls, ED/EO/EL with him, one flight and you should be good. You can do steep turns, slow flight, GRM and all your landings. Relax.
 
I don't understand why you and your CFI have a disconnect on what you can practice on your own. On your solo flights you should be practicing all the maneuvers as you'll have to demonstrate them on your check ride. Perhaps your CFI assumed you knew you could practice on your own. I think you need to sit down and have a chat to clear things up. If you feel, maybe after a couple flights dual and a couple solo practicing maneuvers, you're not ready, talk with your CFI and reschedule if you have to. Don't get discouraged now. You're too close to the finish line. Soon you'll be a rated pilot and be able to scare yourself on your own! :D
 
mscard88 said:
I don't understand why you and your CFI have a disconnect on what you can practice on your own.
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I suspect it can be common because I had a bit of a disconnect as well. When I was first signed off as solo I obviously just did the takeoff and landings in the pattern to officially "solo". Then the next time I went up I did the same thing, I just stayed in the pattern for an hour and a half. (that's a lot of bugs)
Then the next time I asked my CFI if I was allowed to go out in the practice area and he said "of course" and went over the normal 25 mile solo restrictions. So that time I went out and just did easy stuff such as steep turns and ground reference maneuvers. Then I went through the full list of check ride stuff and asked him if I could do slow flight and stalls and he gave me the "of course" answer again. So, from day one when he signed me off as solo it was "unrestricted" and I think he just assumed I knew that. It all worked out fine and I was able to work myself up slowly so no big deal.
 
Mike Smith said:
Let me add, if you are ready for your ride, you and he both should be comfortable with you doing all the maneuvers solo, you will be by yourself once you get your ticket.
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Agree with this...

For my first solo out of the pattern, my cfi told me to go practice power off stalls and slow flight, we always do them till the stall breaks, I'm not sure how you practice them without getting the stall horn to sound(someone posted earlier).

Although, I can't see how you could safely practice unusual attitudes solo.
 
Changing the subject to 'where we stand'...
I'm kinda treading water for now till I get my written knocked out and then on to the long XC and then tuning for the finish line.

Did an hour in the pattern today. I was going to go practice maneuvers but the clouds didn't want to cooperate.
 
exncsurfer said:
Changing the subject to 'where we stand'...
I'm kinda treading water for now till I get my written knocked out and then on to the long XC and then tuning for the finish line.

Did an hour in the pattern today. I was going to go practice maneuvers but the clouds didn't want to cooperate.
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What are you waiting for? Get er done!!!
 
Hoping to get signed off to solo (again) this week. I always say again because I soloed 12 years ago and then life got in the way. Went through my logbook and was discouraged (reminded?) how much I have left even though I'm passing through the 50 hour mark. Forgot how little simulated instrument I had done 12 years ago. The rest is solo time and check ride prep. Hopefully a string of good weather will finally hit so I can keep flying consistently.
 
Spoke with my CFI today - yes, I can go practice maneuvers without him, so am good there. He also reassured me that he wouldn't have signed me off if he didn't think I was ready. So, I need to stop worrying and doubting myself. Hopefully next week's checkride will go well. If not, well, I'll just try again next month.
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
Spoke with my CFI today - yes, I can go practice maneuvers without him, so am good there. He also reassured me that he wouldn't have signed me off if he didn't think I was ready. So, I need to stop worrying and doubting myself. Hopefully next week's checkride will go well. If not, well, I'll just try again next month.
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:D:D:D
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
Spoke with my CFI today - yes, I can go practice maneuvers without him, so am good there. He also reassured me that he wouldn't have signed me off if he didn't think I was ready. So, I need to stop worrying and doubting myself. Hopefully next week's checkride will go well. If not, well, I'll just try again next month.
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Go knock it out. You will be fine. Just relax. You've done it with your CFI and your cfi has faith in you. The only thing standing between you and your ppl is your head. Relax and enjoy it.

Can't wait to see what goofy costume you come up with for passing.
 
MIFlyer said:
It's official. I suck.

well, got an incomplete on stage two. I wasn't PIC enough. I have this weird mental thing where if I'm not legally PIC, I act like a student, even if I have the controls.

I had some legit things that I just didn't do correctly that I need to burn into my brain (arrival procedure).

But I need to learn that as "fake PIC" i need to decline requests from the right seat when they'll get me in trouble.

example, using foggles, being given headings and altitudes. Given request to turn to XYZ heading and ascend to 3,000ft. He stopped me before I got to 3,000ft and says "you've lost situational awareness, if you had continued that climb to 3,000, you would have violated airspace". Fair enough, and I had lost track of where I was, but in my defense, I'll never (as a PPL) be having a situation where i'm flying through the clouds and worried about airspace (since I would have been on 121.5 by then, which gives me the clearance I need to enter airspace to save my bacon. There's no scenario where I would ever be in a cloud and worrying about that kind of stuff.

His point that I lost track of where i was is 100% spot on, and that's on me, but I think stage checks are kind of goofy if it's not instruction, but I still have to do what a passenger tells me to do, unless i think it's not something I should do???

Later, was given a diversion. whipped out my map, estimated heading (turned the plane that way right away) distance, time and fuel. While doing that, made a series of errors (some fair, some perhaps not so).

He directed me to then put that airport in the G1000, which i really don't use except for the radio, as I thought in VFR PPL we were supposed to do all paper/hand calcs (I leave it on of course, but I don't cheat and look at it, except for traffic awareness)

I spent a couple of minutes trying to figure out how to put in the airport code (never did figure it out). All the time, we were flying roughly the heading to the diversion, and I could see visual checkpoints that would get us there., but I let the plane descend, because I thought I was getting near the 1,800 foot bravo shelf and since I didn't know exactly where I was, I was being "better safe than sorry" and decending towards 1,600 (ground height in the area is 200-300 ft).

He ends the ride there and says, actually, you're not near that shelf, but are over an airport, with a TPA at 1100, so you are about to descend into an altitude where planes might be crossing midfield. Again, my bad and my responsibility, but it was all set off by being told to use the GD GPS. If i could have ignored the order to use the GPS, i could have just flown us to the diversion airport and would have been well orientated during that two minutes I was fighting the G1000 and would not have lost situations awareness, since I would have been looking outside and referencing the sectional on my lap vs stabbing buttons on the G1000.

So, my bad for listening to a "passenger". I think though that others should help explain to me if i'm required to be familiar with the G1000, or forbidden from using it? which is it? Are we required to BOTH know how to use all the avionics and nav equipment in any plane we fly AND be doing it on paper map and E6B at the same time? Seems dumb, frankly, and the day after you get your license, seems like you'd do one or the other, not double your workload by trying to do both on the fly during a "diversion" which is an urgent change in plans.

So, i'll spend 10 hours and $1,000+ learning the G1000 system that i'll never touch again after my checkride since my plane has a 430w (can't use it for training, long story)

rant over. I made plenty of mistakes and should not have passed (the grade I received was deserved!) but I think it's wonky to forbid and require someone to use a piece of equipment and most of my issues were due to this issue of "am I PIC or not?" "am i required to do what you say, or are you just a passenger asking me to show off my crazy plane flying skills?"

Also, are you supposed to tell the examiner and the check ride instructor to go fish if they give you vectors in simulated IMC? With stage check, they're legally PIC, so i was treating it that way. Next time, I'll be in charge and will decide when/where we'll be doing maneuvers...
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Trying to understand this. Was this a stage check from your flight school or a Check ride? What ride was this because I don't recall ever using foggles in PPL, only IFR.

In any event, brush it off and continue. ****ty days happen. How we handle them makes us who we are.

For your reference, g1000 has a very simple NRST button on the PFD. Just hit that, select newest direct enter enter and your good to go.
 
Hi, this was stage 2 check, before you go do your last two cross countries. they expect you to be pretty close to checkride material at this point.

I clearly had areas I failed in that were just my failures, but some of it just seemed goofy.

Also, i don't think the instructor was unfair, just that the situations and the ambiguity about who makes decisions on the ride seemed unfair.

thanks. i bought the g1000 course and spent a few hours last night. i'll do more of it before my redo of stage two (hopefully in a week)
 
For the record, as an instrument student, I did a lot of foggles flying while VFR, and I rather definitely got vectored into Class B multiple times. With clearance, but usually, you have to ask. To do that, you have to know where you are. A few times, I've been vectored into Class B for traffic avoidance (in a pass).

It is entirely legit for an examiner to ask you to use any of the equipment installed in the airplane, which is why I really don't recommend a G1000 for primary training. You also may need it on a cross country. S*** happens on cross countries.

Also for the record, the "buttonology" for G1000 is a proper superset of a 430. They are quite similar. Your stage check is unsatisfactory, so your options are to learn the G1000 or transition to an airplane that doesn't have it. It's not an option to fly with equipment you aren't minimally functional with. Loss of situational awareness is very serious, and it's quite true that a G1000 does not always increase it. You must make it so that it does. Hint: buy the Garmin G1000 simulator. It will pay for itself in 10 minutes.
 
thanks MAKG1. Yes, thanks for the clarification that I need to know the planes equipment. I guess that's obvious in retrospect, but i was torn by all the talk of having to do it with paper that I never bothered to learn the G1000.

I bought the simulator plus the garmin1000.com video course which is helping a lot.

and agreed, I am the one who created my failures, I just can't quite mentally grasp how i'm supposed to treat instructions from a stagecheck "passenger" who is legally PIC. On a checkride, it's crystal clear that the examiner is a passenger and the student is the legal PIC. on a stagecheck, the instructor is legally PIC, but i'm expected to pretend to be PIC I guess.

for my redo on this, I will.

1. ACT AS PIC!!!! and object/challenge if i'm given requests that seem not cool
2. Maintain situational awareness at all times and veto using a distraction if necessary
3. Tattoo that dang arrival procedure in my brain (I think this stage check did that)
4. Learn the damn G1000 to a basic proficiency level. they're not going to make me stand it on it's head and do GAIM corrections, just learn how to use the AFD built in, along with how to nav to stuff, how to push the red button when one screen goes out, and how to quickly tune a VOR on it (i'm super great at VOR with KX-170's and an old school VOR, but need to make sure i'm hot on the G1000 version too.

Be a better pilot...
 
Sounds like lots of good lessons. Those can be more effective than someone just telling you "you have to do X."

Whether you are ready to act as PIC is probably the most important question your instructor will ask himself, to determine if you should be signed off for the checkride. Just remember, you're ALWAYS PIC, even when you aren't. You'll get passengers (a lot!) that don't understand 14 CFR 91.3(a).

While it's overkill to program instrument approaches into the G1000 for a student pilot, there is a lot you can do. You might start with CAP's VFR transition materials (essentially, they are Cessna's). http://www.capg1000.com/course.htm The price is right, though you may find better stuff from Max Trescott, for instance.
 
I'm flying a g1000 and I've never once even seen a vfr paper map. The regulations are to have a backup so I have forefight on my iPad for that.
Some schools may want you to learn old school, but there's no requirement. I'll even be doing my flight planning on foreflight for my check ride and all navigation will be on the g1000 in the plane.
 
tuwood said:
I'm flying a g1000 and I've never once even seen a vfr paper map. The regulations are to have a backup so I have forefight on my iPad for that.
Some schools may want you to learn old school, but there's no requirement. I'll even be doing my flight planning on foreflight for my check ride and all navigation will be on the g1000 in the plane.
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Then your education is incomplete.

And a G1000 is not a chart. It contains SOME of the chart data in the navigational database. Not nearly all of it.

For the record, regulations do not require charts at all, with some limited exceptions. But you are responsible for everything on it.
 
MAKG1 said:
Sounds like lots of good lessons. Those can be more effective than someone just telling you "you have to do X."
You might start with CAP's VFR transition materials (essentially, they are Cessna's). http://www.capg1000.com/course.htm The price is right, though you may find better stuff from Max Trescott, for instance.
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That free CAP transition is just an introduction to the G1000. It is designed to be taken prior to the CAP's formal "ground school" in-person training. It is not meant to be a full course.
The full course is also priced right ($47) and is located at www.Garmin1000.com
 
write-stuff said:
That free CAP transition is just an introduction to the G1000. It is designed to be taken prior to the CAP's formal "ground school" in-person training. It is not meant to be a full course.
The full course is also priced right ($47) and is located at www.Garmin1000.com
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Having gone through CAP's formal ground schools, both VFR and IFR, I wouldn't characterize them as anything more than an introduction either, though others have.

They are a starting point. They are not sufficient by themselves for someone with no aviation GPS experience, but do OK for a 430-proficient pilot.

The way you learn G1000 is programming real flights in the simulator, including frequency lookups and settings, unexpected vectors, etc. For IFR, the big one is out-of-order actions from ATC, such as flying direct to the IF or intercepting an airway.
 
MAKG1 said:
Then your education is incomplete.

And a G1000 is not a chart. It contains SOME of the chart data in the navigational database. Not nearly all of it.

For the record, regulations do not require charts at all, with some limited exceptions. But you are responsible for everything on it.
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I certainly don't want to get into a discussion about it, but I'm not entirely sure what I'm missing by folding a map versus using one on my iPad. It's the exact same map and the FAA allows me to use it.
I think if I were to be in a pinch and had to look at a fold up map I would be just fine, other than I would never be able to get it folded back up properly once unfolded. :)
 
tuwood said:
I certainly don't want to get into a discussion about it, but I'm not entirely sure what I'm missing by folding a map versus using one on my iPad. It's the exact same map and the FAA allows me to use it.
I think if I were to be in a pinch and had to look at a fold up map I would be just fine, other than I would never be able to get it folded back up properly once unfolded. :)
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There is a big difference in scale, for one. On paper, it's easy to look at long and short range at the same time. On an iPad, it really isn't; the best you can do is a lot of pinching, and then the scale is different every time. On a sectional, a thumb is 5 miles. Always. Secondly, you need a backup. Paper doesn't have batteries and doesn't quit without warning if you put it in direct sunlight. But the important thing is to have A backup. An iPad by itself is not a backup, and a G1000 is not a chart.

Third, you have to know how to do it when the iPad doesn't tell you where you are, or gives you BS. You also have to know how to identify BS. If you are truly using it only as a chart holder, this should be no problem. But there is a whole lot of hooey on this point running around this board and elsewhere. It's easy enough to test -- turn off the "ownship."

I've had about half a dozen tablet failures of one sort or another in 450 hours. 3 or 4 would have resulted in airspace busts if I wasn't also doing it "right."

Even when I'm flying a G1000, I keep a tablet AND paper handy. And as an IFR pilot based under Class B airspace, I have a lot more paper to carry than you (always, sectional, TAC, two low-enroutes, A/FD and two sets of terminal procedures, plus whatever else I need along the way for a longer flight).

Once again, the FAA "allows" anything, or nothing, in terms of charts. Not relevant. If you have to "think" you would be fine, you need to test that. Maybe you will. If not, you want to know it under controlled circumstances, not when you're lost and low on fuel and your iPad crashed. Sectionals Z-fold. Really easy.

Ask yourself if you would fly if your iPad died during preflight. If the answer is no, you need to make it different. That's why I said you had a hole in your training.
 
MAKG1 said:
There is a big difference in scale, for one. On paper, it's easy to look at long and short range at the same time. On an iPad, it really isn't; the best you can do is a lot of pinching, and then the scale is different every time. On a sectional, a thumb is 5 miles. Always. Secondly, you need a backup. Paper doesn't have batteries and doesn't quit without warning if you put it in direct sunlight. But the important thing is to have A backup. An iPad by itself is not a backup, and a G1000 is not a chart.

Third, you have to know how to do it when the iPad doesn't tell you where you are, or gives you BS. You also have to know how to identify BS. If you are truly using it only as a chart holder, this should be no problem. But there is a whole lot of hooey on this point running around this board and elsewhere.

I've had about half a dozen tablet failures of one sort or another in 450 hours. 3 or 4 would have resulted in airspace busts if I wasn't also doing it "right."

Even when I'm flying a G1000, I keep a tablet AND paper handy. And as an IFR pilot based under Class B airspace, I have a lot more paper to carry than you (always, sectional, TAC, low-enroute, A/FD and two different sets of terminal procedures).

Once again, the FAA "allows" anything, or nothing, in terms of charts. Not relevant. If you have to "think" you would be fine, you need to test that. Maybe you will. If not, you want to know it under controlled circumstances, not when you're lost and low on fuel and your iPad crashed. Sectionals Z-fold. Really easy.

Ask yourself if you would fly if your iPad died during preflight. If the answer is no, you need to make it different. That's why I said you had a hole in your training.
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Thanks for the explanation and I can certainly agree that it's a great idea to prepare for the worse. For me personally I only fly in a Cirrus and that's the plane I'm buying so I'll always have the G1000 unless there's an electrical failure. I really don't need the iPad at all for normal operations or navigation, but I find the interface quicker for frequencies and such so that's why I have it with me. I have my phone with foreflight on it as well which is my "backup" to the iPad in the event of a battery/overheat type scenario. I have a Stratus 2s in the window which is linked to my iPad and iPhone for GPS and ADS-B info and I also carry a backup handheld radio. I don't have a PLB yet, but am planning to get one soon.

I know that paper doesn't have batteries and such, but I honestly can't see any scenario outside of an EMP from the Russians that would require me to get out a paper map which is why I don't have any of them.

I am only speaking for myself with the equipment I'm flying with, so I don't want to make any general statements about not carrying maps.

On a somewhat humorous side note, on the FAA written exam they had the test supplement book with sections of the map for various questions. I sat there for several minutes trying to play "where's waldo" and find some small airport to answer one of the questions. I was wishing I had my iPad and could just enter the airport code and instantly pull it up. :)
 
tuwood said:
Thanks for the explanation and I can certainly agree that it's a great idea to prepare for the worse. For me personally I only fly in a Cirrus and that's the plane I'm buying so I'll always have the G1000 unless there's an electrical failure. I really don't need the iPad at all for normal operations or navigation, but I find the interface quicker for frequencies and such so that's why I have it with me. I have my phone with foreflight on it as well which is my "backup" to the iPad in the event of a battery/overheat type scenario. I have a Stratus 2s in the window which is linked to my iPad and iPhone for GPS and ADS-B info and I also carry a backup handheld radio. I don't have a PLB yet, but am planning to get one soon.

I know that paper doesn't have batteries and such, but I honestly can't see any scenario outside of an EMP from the Russians that would require me to get out a paper map which is why I don't have any of them.

I am only speaking for myself with the equipment I'm flying with, so I don't want to make any general statements about not carrying maps.

On a somewhat humorous side note, on the FAA written exam they had the test supplement book with sections of the map for various questions. I sat there for several minutes trying to play "where's waldo" and find some small airport to answer one of the questions. I was wishing I had my iPad and could just enter the airport code and instantly pull it up. :)
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There are some things that aren't in the G1000.

Like the terrain height in that mountain pass ahead (except the insufficient "100 feet above" and "1000 feet above" coloration IF you have terrain available and turned on). Airport diagrams ("SafeTaxi") are optional and don't always label taxiways or even runways correctly. There is a REAL bad "gotcha" for instrument approaches with vertical guidance generated by the G1000 -- some of them will bust minimums for you (the FAA insists you follow those published in the procedure). Fortunately, you're not there yet.

I find that a lot of pilots do not understand redundancy. It's not enough to have two devices; it will take far less than a nuclear war to disable both of yours. For instance, a Foreflight bug is likely to affect both in exactly the same way. If you aren't systematic about charging, one will die shortly after the other. Especially since Foreflight sucks your GPS power even when it's "sleeping." Also, firing up the app without that feature enabled takes a very long time to acquire if you turn it on while moving (for a nice disturbing exercise, try the same thing in your G1000 -- you'll get an "attitude fail" if you fire up the AHRS while moving). I've considered using a second tablet as a backup, but that means it's going to be Android, running a different app (it has to anyway) on a de-phased charging schedule. This will probably happen eventually.

That's a lot of gadgets you're depending on. The more of those you have, the more distractions you get. As a student, you need to think carefully about that. And when you find your first failure, you'll find they interact in ways you didn't imagine. For instance, I had a nice (expensive) electronic HSI lose it's electronic magnetometer input, in the clouds, not long ago. Imagine my surprise when it took out the GPS, too! You might think a GPS doesn't need heading, but many do use it -- in this case, for ADS-B traffic display. The only way out of there was the magnetic compass and altimeter, both of which are passive and independent of all of the electronics.
 
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MAKG1 said:
There are some things that aren't in the G1000.

Like the terrain height in that mountain pass ahead (except the insufficient "100 feet above" and "1000 feet above" coloration IF you have terrain available and turned on). Airport diagrams ("SafeTaxi") are optional and don't always label taxiways or even runways correctly. There is a REAL bad "gotcha" for instrument approaches with vertical guidance generated by the G1000 -- some of them will bust minimums for you (the FAA insists you follow those published in the procedure). Fortunately, you're not there yet.

I find that a lot of pilots do not understand redundancy. It's not enough to have two devices; it will take far less than a nuclear war to disable both of yours. For instance, a Foreflight bug is likely to affect both in exactly the same way. If you aren't systematic about charging, one will die shortly after the other. Especially since Foreflight sucks your GPS power even when it's "sleeping." Also, firing up the app without that feature enabled takes a very long time to acquire if you turn it on while moving (for a nice disturbing exercise, try the same thing in your G1000 -- you'll get an "attitude fail" if you fire up the AHRS while moving). I've considered using a second tablet as a backup, but that means it's going to be Android, running a different app (it has to anyway) on a de-phased charging schedule. This will probably happen eventually.

That's a lot of gadgets you're depending on. The more of those you have, the more distractions you get. As a student, you need to think carefully about that. And when you find your first failure, you'll find they interact in ways you didn't imagine. For instance, I had a nice (expensive) electronic HSI lose it's electronic magnetometer input, in the clouds, not long ago. Imagine my surprise when it took out the GPS, too! You might think a GPS doesn't need heading, but many do use it -- in this case, for ADS-B traffic display. The only way out of there was the magnetic compass and altimeter, both of which are passive and independent of all of the electronics.
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For the record, I do truly appreciate your point of view because I do like thinking about these things. I'm a Network Engineer by trade so redundancy is my world and I'm always adding more to my tool belt (hopefully most for the better).
The battery charge scenario did happen a couple weeks ago on a XC with my instructor. I "thought" I charged my iPad but didn't and started a 3.5 hour flight at 30% and knew I wouldn't make it. Fortunately I had my 6000mah mophie battery pack and just plugged it in. I also had my 2.4A cigarette lighter charger as tertiary. (and the phone)
Honestly a sectional for my area would easily fit in my flight bag or the back of a seat in the plane so I'm sure I'll ultimately pick one up. I have really studied the VFR charts in general so I'm very comfortable reading them.
 
tuwood said:
Thanks for the explanation and I can certainly agree that it's a great idea to prepare for the worse. For me personally I only fly in a Cirrus and that's the plane I'm buying so I'll always have the G1000 unless there's an electrical failure. I really don't need the iPad at all for normal operations or navigation, but I find the interface quicker for frequencies and such so that's why I have it with me. I have my phone with foreflight on it as well which is my "backup" to the iPad in the event of a battery/overheat type scenario. I have a Stratus 2s in the window which is linked to my iPad and iPhone for GPS and ADS-B info and I also carry a backup handheld radio. I don't have a PLB yet, but am planning to get one soon.

I know that paper doesn't have batteries and such, but I honestly can't see any scenario outside of an EMP from the Russians that would require me to get out a paper map which is why I don't have any of them.
:)
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You sound reasonably prepared to me.
 
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